Waiting...

There's really not much new to report at this point. We're kind of in this in-between stage of the destruction and recovery. We can safely say the Big Ditch held now and those that evacuated south of the Big Ditch are moving back in. The river levels on the Iowa River and Mississippi have been falling fairly quickly. As of this morning in Wapello and Burlington, the river was within a foot of flood stage and is predicted to fall below flood stage by this weekend. That's obviously great news on many levels. The Iowa River is no longer flowing into the flooded area by our house, and since the Mississippi is down, the flooded area can drain even more.

The town of Oakville itself is pretty much dry. The problem is getting to Oakville! Highway 99 is the only main way to get to the town. A big section of 99 south of Oakville has been washed out. A section just outside of Wapello (north of Oakville) also needs repairs before it is drivable. Officials were shuttling in residents earlier this week, and yesterday, the residents were able to return on their own, with a 8:30 p.m. curfew set. There's plenty of talk going on right now as to whether FEMA will try to buyout part of Oakville. We won't know that for quite awhile.

It's still very possible the water will not be gone from our farm until August. We are in the low-lying area of the flooded area and right next to where the levee was intentionally broken to let the water drain. So, all of that water has to come by our house on its way out. At some point, the water that is left will have to be pumped out by the drainage district, which is who Dad works for.

For us personally, that means we're just playing the waiting game. Essentially, all the major damage is done, although as we saw last week, a good wind or storm can change that. But for instance, the barn is still standing, and will probably stay standing. There's not much physically that can be done until the water is gone. It's different for Oakville and some others who are out of water, and recovery efforts are being organized and started now. It's going to take a LONG time.

That's it for now! It's still busy around here and plenty to do! Thanks for reading!